Ed Cronyn

Ed Cronyn '90 — The Tortoise and the Scientist

Alumnus has spent more than a decade ensuring the Florida wetlands remain pristine during major development

By Donna Parker

As the program manager for the West Florida Sciences Group of Atkins in Tampa, Florida, Ed Cronyn says he is involved in the "science side of things." Ed represents public sector clients building roads, pipelines, and public works projects in south Florida, but some of his "side" clients are just trying to make a home for themselves and their offspring.

"In many projects, we deal with protecting the animals who live in the area. For example, recently we had to move several tortoises out of the way of upcoming construction. Gopher turtles are endangered, so we went out with shovels and excavating equipment and pulled them out to a safe location before the project got underway," he says. Open sunshine rules in the Sunshine State are necessary to protect the wetlands while balancing the economic benefits of progress.

Ed says his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Trinity helped ready him for this particular career in environmental science and policy. "I work with colleagues in other disciplines like engineering and hydrology," Ed says. "Developing ecological mitigation and restoration plans offers a good mix of outdoor fieldwork and in-office analysis that also encourages out-of-the-box thinking."

"Critical analysis and writing skills are extremely important in this field and my professors at Trinity excelled in nurturing these skills in their students. Drs. Richard Butler and John Huston provided much-needed direction, as well as my first exposure to an environmental policy course, which led to my current career," says Ed.

While on campus, Ed was active as a Young Democrat and enjoyed hallway debates with his counterpart, Scott Kubie, president of the College Republicans. "We had competing bumper stickers on our dorm-room doors," chuckles Ed, who says the two remain friends to this day.

Following graduation, Ed began a short foray into politics, working for Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez, whom he had met while a campaign volunteer for the Young Democrats. Ed lived in Washington, D.C., for three years before earning his Master of Public Affairs/Master of Science in Environmental Sciences, which focuses on water resource analysis and policy. After meeting his wife, Anne, the couple moved to Florida, her home state. They are parents to Suzanna, 13 and Julia, 11.

Ed enjoys parenthood very much, although he admits to some trepidation as the girls enter their teenage years. The family is dedicated to volunteerism, which Ed says also was fostered at Trinity, and they spend every Sunday morning serving breakfast to 200 homeless people.

"I like to think of myself as principled," says Ed. "I stay on top of things and have definitely found my niche doing what I love. Trinity definitely set me in the right direction."